Now, there has been some debate over how much social media actually contributes to your SEO. A few years ago Google confirmed that social signals were actually being used as factors in their algorithm. Social media professionals rejoiced and shouted this from the rooftops. At the time, however, Google was really trying to push Google+ hard to the most dedicated social media users so that it would catch on. It never really did – trailing Facbook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to this day. Then, Google backtracked some saying that they couldn’t confirm that social signals were being used for ranking determinations, but that social media provided additional inbound links, which did factor into their algorithm. Social media professionals found talking points to address this confusing issue with clients.
So, what do we know for sure about social media and SEO?
Frequency
Social media updates are quick and easy, which means that you can do them regularly. Consistency like this is important for SEO. Increasing the frequency with which you create and put out content will aid in your SEO efforts. This frequency not only helps your SEO efforts, but also gives you more visibility by exposing more people to your business across more platforms.
Engaging in social media encourages you to maintain a business blog so that you do not always have to search for and promote other people’s content. Tying blogging in with your social media efforts provides an even bigger SEO boost.
Sharability
Social media updates and content posted to social media platforms lend themselves well to being shared. Having your content shared means more links and more traffic to your site. Google uses this data in their algorithm, giving preference to sites that attract visitors from a wide variety of sources. Creating content that people appreciate and enjoy can cause your social media posts to go viral, which Google will also reward.
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!